Ugly Omelet owner, two others seek relief from unrelenting critic

Friday

Nov 15, 2013 at 7:38 PM

By George Barnes, TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

GARDNER — A Lunenburg restaurant owner has taken out a harassment prevention order against a Leominster man, saying he harassed him on Facebook using anti-Semitic references, and by phone calls and texts.

Seth Silver, owner of the Ugly Omelet Restaurant in Lunenburg, took out the order in Gardner District Court on Wednesday against Aaron Arsenault of Leominster after enduring what he said was a series of incidents that put him in fear.

Mr. Arsenault, 33, of 14 Prospect St., Leominster has been ordered by the court not to abuse the three men, not to contact them and to remain away from them, their homes and businesses. The restraining orders are in effect until Nov. 21, at which time an extension for up to a year will be considered. Mr. Silver said he would prefer the orders be permanent, as he does not believe the problem will stop.

Mr. Arsenault said he has not received notification of the court orders.

In filing for his harassment-prevention order, Mr. Silver told the court he has known Mr. Arsenault for many years and found him to be "irrational and mean" at times.

Mr. Silver said that for some time, the alleged irrational behavior has been escalating, including making anti-Semitic remarks and using a Facebook page under the name of The Ugly Omelet to insult people. Mr. Silver said those targeted included him, his family, friends and customers.

In an interview Thursday, Mr. Silver said the insults were made to look as if he were writing the postings. Mr. Silver, who is Jewish, said the anti-Semitic remarks had to do with Kristallnacht, a series of coordinated attacks against Jews and Jewish-owned businesses throughout Nazi Germany in November 1938, which shocked the world and marked a significant escalation of Nazi hostilities toward Jews.

On what was the Ugly Omelet Facebook page, people who came to Mr. Silver's defense were insulted, as was a reporter who wrote a newspaper article about the problems with which the restaurant and its owner were attempting to deal. Thursday, a comment appeared attacking the owners of West End Diner, a Leominster restaurant that had just suffered its second fire in two months.

Around the same time that the problems escalated with Mr. Arsenault, the Facebook page "Boycott The Ugly Omelet" appeared. Mr. Silver said he believes the page was created by someone outraged by the postings by Mr. Arsenault on The Ugly Omelet Facebook page.

The postings were worded in such a way as to lead the reader to believe they were made by Mr. Silver.

A third Facebook page, "The Ugly Omelette," has also appeared, but postings so far seem supportive of the restaurant.

The Ugly Omelet Facebook page has changed since Mr. Silver announced he was planning to seek a restraining order. On the top of the page, the profile picture and cover photograph are the OTS logo, The Ugly Omelet is still mentioned, but the focus is more on OTS (On the scene) Magazine. To get to the page a person still needs to search for The Ugly Omelet.

Mr. Silver said he believes he and others are in danger from Mr. Arsenault, and his wife and family are very afraid of him.

Mr. Arsenault has a history of being the target of harassment complaints. In 2011, state Sen. Jennifer L. Flanagan, D-Leominster, sought a restraining order against Mr. Arsenault for harassing her and making hostile postings that made her fear for her safety.

Mr. Billet and Mr. Rodriguez, in a jointly signed affidavit, told the court they worked with Mr. Arsenault at OTS Magazine. They said that during that time he designed Facebook pages in the name of three restaurants — The Ugly Omelet, Townsend House Restaurant and Il Reccordi — and was moderator of the OTS Facebook page. Mr. Arsenault said he is majority owner of OTS Magazine.

The men said that time and again, Mr Arsenault harassed people under the name of those three restaurants. They said he also began harassing customers using the OTS Magazine Facebook page, which they said was eventually shut down.

The men told the court that on Nov. 11, Mr. Arsenault began abusively calling and texting them, using ethnic and racial slurs. He then started contacting their business associates, doing the same thing. Mr. Rodriguez said Mr. Arsenault also told him he knows where his daughter lives, intentionally insulted his wife and made a false complaint against him to the Leominster police.

Contact George Barnes at george.barnes@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @georgebarnesTG.